Chapter 347: Section 134: Black Market Auction
Dun Dao City.
The streets were nearly deserted at night, with only two carriages parked outside the storefront of the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce.
Zi Di and her entourage didn’t head straight for the auction but first entered the local branch store.
A magical girl held a slab, which was engraved with a large segment of text. The text was dense and disorderly, clearly requiring a special cipher to deconstruct and reveal the true information hidden within.
Zi Di checked it three times, and after confirming that there were no errors, she solemnly placed the slab into the recess.
This was a pillar-shaped magic device, designed specifically for communication.
The pillar was only half the height of a person, with a round top that featured a central recess. The rectangular slab fit into the groove, seamlessly matching the patterns.
“Once this step is taken, there can be no turning back,” Zi Di thought to herself.
Her hesitation lasted only a moment.
The Pearl Bubble was depleted, the situation urgent; she had to seek the help of the Hundred Needles Clan Leader and clear her name as soon as possible!
Zi Di used spirit manipulation to control the pillar, starting to infuse it with all her mana.
The magic device activated, emitting bursts of yellow light.
The light gathered on the surface of the slab, causing the text to come alive and transform into a stream of blue light, transferring from the slab into the pillar.
The yellow light on the pillar instantly turned into blue light, which shot downward and vanished in the blink of an eye.
“The message has been sent… successfully!” Zi Di exhaled a breath of stale air and pushed open the room door.
At the door, Di Lou stood guard diligently.
Shortly afterward, Sanda and the shop manager brought a small chest, filled with gold coins, to join up with Zi Di.
The small chest was the store’s funds.
With the funds in hand, Zi Di and the others returned to the carriage.
The carriage once again raced through the empty, dark streets.
An enemy hidden on the rooftop stealthily dropped into the carriage.
The manager led Zi Di, Di Lou, and Sanda into the Black Market auction hall. Not only did they move unimpeded, but they also had a special private box.
Despite the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce being in ruins, its reputation still held some sway. The manager, though corrupt, had strong connections and was well-received here.
The auction had already started for a while, but with a secret door behind their box, no one was aware that Zi Di and her group had joined mid-way.
As Zi Di took her seat, a Magic Pendant was being auctioned on stage.
The pendant appeared to be made of bras, with the bottom oriented upward and the mouth downward, continuously dripping water.
“This is a Fresh Water Bottle of Silver Grade. When at rest, it absorbs and transforms water elements from the air into freshwater. If we infuse magic power or fill it with Water Elemental Crystals, it can produce a large amount of fresh water. With sufficient mana, this small pendant could meet the freshwater needs of 200 people a day. The starting bid is 100 Gold Coins, and each bid must be no less than 10 Gold Coins. Let us begin the auction!”
No sooner had the auctioneer finished speaking than someone in the hall bid, “110 Gold.”
“120 Gold.”
“130 Gold.”
“150 Gold!”
The price was raised to 150 Gold Coins, which met with a moment of silence.
The auctioneer banged the gavel, concluding the auction.
The Fresh Water Bottle was taken down, replaced by an exquisitely small compass.
“The next item, a palm-sized compass of Silver Grade…” the auctioneer spoke at a moderate pace, enunciating clearly.
The compass sold quickly for 140 Gold.
Next up were two pieces of Silver Grade armor. The auctioneer’s pitch rose noticeably, “Ladies and gentlemen, please pay attention, the next item is the Feathered Snake Sail of the coveted Golden Level. Allow me to introduce it with great honor—The Feathered Snake Sail!”
Two fighters of the Black Iron Level carried a large wooden box onto the stage together.
They opened the box to reveal a sail that was neatly packed and almost filled the box to the brim.
The auctioneer went on to explain the sail’s area, dimensions, and other details, stirring up a great deal of excitement in the crowd.
In the end, the Feathered Snake Sail was sold for 980 Gold Coins.
Seeing this, Zi Di gradually formed an assessment in her mind.
Overall, these prices were quite reasonable.
Copper coins, silver coins, and gold coins were the main currencies, circulating between various continents and playing a significant role in trades both large and small.
In terms of the Holy Bright Empire, the basic annual living expenses for a common person ranged from 5,000 to 30,000 copper coins, which equated to 0.5 to 3 Gold Coins. In major cities, housing prices were around 10,000 copper coins per square meter, or 1 Gold Coin/m2. The annual income for a barony was around 4,800 Gold Coins.
Gold Coins had enormous purchasing power.
As for the auction items, most were related to the naval domain. After all, Dun Dao City was a port city, with massive demands in the area of sailing.
Zi Di observed the auction items while listening to the manager’s intelligence.
The Black Market auction wasn’t hosted by a single power but was co-organized by the City Lord’s Mansion, two prominent families, and the Clam Cloth Guild.
The former two constituted the highest echelon of Dun Dao City, while the latter had an even more significant standing, being one of the six major guilds of the Holy Bright Empire.
Multiple powers co-hosting the event was naturally a good thing for Zi Di.
Zi Di also learned about many auction records and historical transaction prices for a large amount of auctioned goods.
Overall, this Black Market auction hall was mid-range, with the highest Grade of items at the Golden Level. After all, Dun Dao City was not a large city, and its strongest was the City Lord, a Golden Level fighter.
From these auction records, Zi Di also discerned the financial strength of her main competitors.
Excluding unexpected parties, her primary rivals were the City Lord’s mansion and the two major families.
This time, Zi Di’s main goal was to purchase some alchemy materials to create Repairer Puppets.
The materials required for the puppets included a number of mid-range materials. These materials, in the markets of Dun Dao City, were hard to gather in a short period of time, but at the auction, she could get them all in one go.
Through the person in charge, she had already acquired the list of items for this auction. The list only had short descriptions, and items of alchemical nature were concentrated in the latter part of the auction.
Zi Di wasn’t in a hurry and showed ample patience. During the first half of the auction, she also repeatedly made bids through the Magic Device.
Although she didn’t have a strong need for these pieces of equipment or Magic Tools, she needed to throw her competitors off their game, unable to easily discern her purchasing preferences.
“The Justice Pirate Group has an elder level person from the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce among them. No, even if it’s not an elder, being able to produce an elder token indicates a deep relationship between the two,” Sea Dog Captain also snuck in. He leveraged General Kan Qiao’s reputation and also secured a private box.
Due to Zi Di’s random bidding, a lot of auction items were willfully mixed up, leaving the Sea Dog Captain unable to discern anything for a moment and he could only continue to watch quietly.
The first half of the auction soon ended.
This kind of black market auction took place at least once a month.
Entering the intermission, the attendees whispered and murmured. Some discussed the auction items, some renewed old ties and networked, while others were organizing funds.
The second half had just started when an unexpected item appeared.
The auctioneer announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, please pay attention, we have a special item up next. This is a Golden Level Magic Scroll, officially known as the Ship Spirit Repair Alchemy Scroll! You may not know much about it, so I will give a detailed introduction to the background of this item.”
“The creator is no ordinary person…”
With the auctioneer’s explanation, the attention of everyone in the room was captured.
Zi Di was quite surprised: “Is it really a Ship Spirit Repair Scroll? It’s still Tuck’s creation, unmistakable, exactly the same.”
Sea Dog Captain snorted coldly: “This kind of scroll is specially provided to the Navy and spy departments; it’s outrageous that it has leaked out, those despicable Empire vermin!”
Tuck and the Empire had a strict contract—it wasn’t sold to multiple parties.
Such important wartime materials leaking into the outside market was very likely due to corruption and underhanded deals by persons within the Empire.
“The starting bid for this item is 1,000 Gold, with each bid increase being at least 50 Gold. Now, the auction begins!” After an extensive introduction by the auctioneer, the official auction was declared open.
The room went silent for a brief moment before someone made a bid: “1,050 Gold Coins.”
Soon after, bids came in quick succession, and the price was raised to 1,350 Gold.
Zi Di also placed a bid, her brows tightly knit at the moment.
She really wanted to acquire this alchemy scroll, but her available funds were limited, and her main objective hadn’t been met yet, which added to her pressure.
“1,500 Gold!” Hesitating for a moment, Zi Di still placed her bid.
“Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce bids 1,500 Gold!” The auctioneer was stimulated, raising his tone.
Sea Dog Captain was taken aback: “The Justice Pirate Group has such strong finances? During the day, they exchanged with the Empire for a Ship Spirit Repair Scroll, and now they want to buy another. It seems they really do have a ship spirit in need of repair!”
With Zi Di’s sudden addition of 150 Gold, others in the audience became hesitant.
On one hand, although the scroll was Golden Level, it was a single-use consumable, and 1,500 Gold was already quite high. On the other hand, not everyone possessed a ship spirit, and even if they had one, it might not be damaged. Thirdly, the Ship Spirit Repair Scroll was making its first appearance on the market, and people were still unclear about its value.
“1,500 Gold for the first time, 1,500 Gold for the second time,” the auctioneer began the countdown.
Zi Di’s heart couldn’t help but beat slightly faster.
For the Justice Pirate Group, the Ship Spirit Repair Scroll offered great benefits. Zi Di was very clear in her mind that 1,500 Gold Coins was a huge bargain!
“1,500 Gold Coins for the third…” The auctioneer had just lifted his hammer when all of a sudden a voice called out, “City Lord’s mansion bids 1,550 Gold!”
Zi Di’s expression changed immediately and she increased her bid: “1,600 Gold.”
The City Lord’s mansion matched the bid again: “1,650 Gold.”
Zi Di clenched her teeth: “1,800 Gold.”
The room erupted with murmurs.
The City Lord’s mansion once again followed with a firm attitude: “2,000 Gold!”
The person in charge changed color, couldn’t help but interject a reminder, “Elder, the one bidding is the City Lord’s mansion’s Housekeeper.”
Zi Di pinched her fists tightly, hesitating: “2,050 Gold.”
Mocking laughter came from within the City Lord’s mansion’s box: “2,200 Gold!”
The price was very steep now.
The hall grew noisy, the crowd buzzing with discussions.
Generally, a Golden Level weapon wouldn’t cost more than about 1,600 Gold.
An alchemy scroll, which could only be used once, having been auctioned for 2,200 Gold, was extremely high. Unless there was a strong need, it was clearly a loss.
Zi Di chose to give up.
She instructed her person in charge: “Find out, who sold this scroll? I’d like to request a purchase, we can negotiate the price.”
The person in charge wiped the sweat from his forehead and immediately left the box.
Meanwhile, in another box, Sea Dog Captain sneered: “The City Lord’s mansion bought it? Heh, they dare to buy such military equipment?”
Right away, he had made up his mind to report this matter.
This was a serious matter, and even a Golden Level City Lord couldn’t hold onto such an alchemy scroll—they would have to hand it over obediently.
However, tracing the source would be quite difficult.
After all, one of the six major Guilds ran the black market from behind the scenes.